Direct care workers (DCWs) play a critical role in caring for clients with diverse dietary preferences and needs based on dietary restrictions, religion, and culture. As part of our commitment to supporting DCWs, we are excited to announce the launch of the Cooking Skills for Direct Care Workers Certification.
This specialized certification is designed to equip DCWs with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide optimal person-centered care to meet clients’ dietary needs. DCWs will learn basic cooking skills and techniques, as well as strategies to modify recipes, preparation, and food textures based on client restrictions and preferences. After completion, DCWs will be better equipped to address overall dietary needs based on physical health, restrictions, religion, cultural needs, and preferences.
The Cooking Skills for Direct Care Workers Certification consists of five classes, totaling 3.7 hours of content, those classes include:
- CARE0600 Overview of Nutrition & Food Preparation [1 hr] (ALL Packages)
- CARE0601 Modifying Diets to Assist with Difficulty Chewing [1 hr] (ALL Packages)
- CARE0602 Preparing Meals to Meet Cultural, Ethnic, Religious, and Dietary Needs [20 min] (ALL Packages)
- CARE0603 Cooking Skills for Direct Care Workers [1 hr] (Home Health and Complete)
- CARE0604 Kosher Meal Prep [23 min] (Home Health and Complete)
The classes cover a range of topics, from an overview of nutrition and food preparation to preparing meals to meet cultural, ethnic, religious, and dietary needs.
The certification is available to customers with the Home Health, and Compete packages.
DCWs who complete the certification will be able to:
- Prepare and modify meals according to client dietary and personal needs (religious and cultural)
- Ensure clients receive adequate nutrition
- Prepare meals and store them safely
- Shop for clients according to budget and personal restrictions
The Cooking Skills for Direct Care Workers Certification is a valuable resource for DCWs and their agencies. It will help ensure that DCWs are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide their clients with the highest quality of care.